How We Save Hundreds on Hair Care Every Year

The other day as our boys were getting their hair cut, I started thinking about how much we save on hair care every year. I know that we save in every category that is possible- haircuts, how much shampoo is used, coloring/dyeing, etc.

We are in this season of growing a family, and while we are growing our family we want to be financially responsible and use our money wisely. Hair care is one of those places that I feel like we do the best in. Because this area is easier for me than say….cutting out chocolate or coffee…not that those are financially irresponsible choices, but if you are trying to pay off debt, or save as much as possible for the vehicle you will soon be needing, you get it.

So today I wanted to share with you the ways that our family is able to save on hair care every year.

I am NOT recommending you cut momma’s and girl’s hair at home, unless you are super talented or take a class and know what you are doing. But daddy and boy hair is super easy to cut at home. I use this clipper set and just use the specific length comb I want for each boy. The older two boys use the same length, but Ben uses a shorter one.

When I cut the boys’ hair I just use the one length and skip the ear combs, trimming around the ears with scissors. If you are too nervous, there are lots of YouTube clips you can watch, like this one, or you can see if you know someone who cuts their boy’s hair and get some lessons from them.

For mommas and girls, barter with a friend for haircuts.

You may already know a beautician who would love to help you out and cut your hair for a lower price, for a trade, or simply because she is your friend. Or check with you friends and ask if they know anyone who does in home hair services, you will probably be able to get a cheaper price then too.

Wash your hair LESS.

There are studies that talk about how we should be showering less, and living in a less clean environment so it makes sense that washing our hair would also be included in that. I’m not saying that you need to go ‘poo free or anything, I tried it for a couple of years and my hair started breaking, like this lady’s, so I quit that and just started washing less.

Now, instead of no ‘poo I wash my hair every fourth day. It did take a while to get to that point because I had to slowly reduce the washes, and it took two years to get to every fourth day. You don’t necessarily need to reduce that much, but it reducing how much you wash your hair will help with your overall hair care spending.

How much you should reduce washing your hair depends on a few different things- what line of work you are in, how active you are, and how greasy your hair is (though, I found my hair was super greasy BECAUSE I was washing it so much). So mommas who aren’t active probably won’t have to wash their hair as much, while more active ladies, and littles, probably need to wash it more often. In the winter my boys get their hair washed once a week, in the summer when they are sweaty and dirty it could be up to three times a week. My husband washes his hair almost every day, because his line of work includes lots of oils and chemicals that can get into his hair sometimes.

By washing your hair less you will use less shampoo and you will be able to save on hair care.

Use less shampoo.

This will depend on the thickness of the hair being washed, but most of us use way to much shampoo when we wash our hair. Try using less next time and see what happens. For longer hair, massage the shampoo in around the edges and in towards the center, there should be enough lather to then go to the ends.

If your littles are washing their hair themselves, make sure to show them how much to use and watch them a few times to make sure they remember. Sometimes it is hard for littles to stop dumping the beautiful squishy, slimy shampoo because they like how it feel in their hands, if this is the case you may just need to wash their hair for them.

Better shampoos can seem more expensive, but in the long run, if you use a better shampoo, you should be able to use less and wash less and still look great. I really like the Trader Joe’s brand, while it isn’t name brand it works well for my hair, and it is free of sulfates. My boys use Shea Moisture Children’s line, and my husband uses Axe. {I would love to get him off this though…he really likes it because of the scent…does anyone know a more natural kind of shampoo that still has scents like Axe?}

Don’t color/dye/highlight your hair.

I know some women like this maintenance, but if you are looking to save money for anything, this is one area that is pretty easy to cut. If you want to cover your grays, then start coloring at home. This alone can save you $500 on hair care per year.

Bonus, by not dying your hair, you are saving yourself exposure from lots of chemicals. 😉

The estimated total that we save on hair care by following these tips:

Subscribe for Updates

Comments

I only wash my hair once a week unless it’s not behaving well. That makes it sound like shampoo is a punishment, doesn’t it? At any rate, I definitely agree that good shampoo is the key. For ladies with thick hair (like mine), you also have to brush it regularly. If I don’t, the oil builds up on the scalp and that leads to all kinds of unpleasant things. And for the curly-haired ladies who are saying, “WHAT? You don’t brush curls,” I’ve found that brushing my hair at night and combing in the morning is a good balance.

The art of shampooing and using less product is a still a learning experience for me – but I am overall more pleased with how my hair works than before I started transitioning.

I really want to learn to cut hubby’s hair. It makes me so nervous! I need to check out that youtube video! I have actually cut my little girl’s hair, just a straight edge cut, no layers or anything fancy. And I cut my own bangs sometimes, but I feel like that’s much less intimidating than man hair. 🙂

Haha! Guy hair seems so much less intimidating to me than my own! Isn’t it funny how we all see things differently? I think I would probably cut my fictional daughter’s hair after watching my friend cut it a few times, but the first time I tried to trim my middler’s hair he ended up looking Amish. lol.

Let’s Connect

Hi I'm Rebekah!
Married to my best friend since 2009. Momma to three handsome little men and hoping to be surviving toddlerhood for many more years. :-)
I'm so glad that you are here! Here you will find encouragement for your momma heart, allergen free recipes, tips for healthy and natural living, and more!
I am passionate about support for mommas during their pregnancy, labor, and the first year postpartum, and I pour that passion into my work as a birth and postpartum doula.
Thanks for stopping by! If you have any questions feel free to email me at rebekah@survivingtoddlerhood.com